Home » Alumni
Category Archives: Alumni
Adult Students Seek Options. Graduate Programs Grow.
Options. That’s one of the most popular themes for 2020. As we work to figure out our futures, we look for options in our careers and training/education. People across the United States are being faced with making the best of a bad situation. For potential students, this can include taking on new job responsibilities due to corporate downsizing, rethinking recent career decisions, and starting over completely. For adults who already hold their bachelor’s degree, graduate programs can seem promising. That has meant a noticeable increase in first-generation graduate students.
Like any continuing education, graduate programs require some preliminary research and strategy, by the student, to best figure out which path to take and which school is the best match for them and their wallet. Because some job markets have gone from bad to worse during COVID, universities have had to revisit and reallocate resources into programs that are needed now. Dealing with that delicate balance, they still must address the new needs of their students, what’s happening now, and preparing them for the dramatic changes taking place in business and across industries.
(more…)Heads or Tails? Did I Let a Coin Make My College Decision for Me?
As a Juniata campus tour guide, I’ve often been asked to reflect on my own admissions process.
“What made Juniata stand out?”
“What made me choose Juniata?”
I’ve been indecisive my whole life. Questions like “What should we have for dinner tonight?” always stressed me out. It’s not that I think questions like this are particularly difficult to answer, but without enough information to make a distinct pro/con list—or worse, when the pros and cons are evenly balanced—I’d rather not make the final decision.
(more…)My own college graduation story
“What was I thinking?” That pretty much sums up my thoughts during my eight years of working towards my Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
Let me back up a little. Prior to coming to Juniata College, I had a convoluted start to working towards my degree. As a first-generation student, my family had no idea that “the college search” was even a thing. I did know, however, that I would need to further my education to help with my future. I spent one year at a local community college before my father received orders from the Air Force to relocate to Berlin, Germany. Once there, I found out that there were college courses offered that I could attend in the evenings and on the weekends, since I was working full-time. So, I picked away at taking the courses. After three years, I earned my Associates Degree in Arts from the University of Maryland, even though I had never stepped foot on their campus.
(more…)
